Y. Morio et al., BONE-MINERAL DENSITY OF THE RADIUS IN PATIENTS WITH OSSIFICATION OF THE CERVICAL POSTERIOR LONGITUDINAL LIGAMENT - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY, Spine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976), 18(16), 1993, pp. 2513-2516
Radial bone mineral density (BMD) in the distal one sixth and distal o
ne third of the left radius was measured by single-photon absorptiomet
ry (SPA) in patients with ossification of the cervical posterior longi
tudinal ligament (OPLL). Twenty-three OPLL patients (15 men and 8 wome
n) with mean initial age of 60.1 years were studied longitudinally for
mean follow-up period of 3.9 years. Based on roentgenologic findings,
the patients were divided into two groups, those with advancing OPLL
and those with non-advancing OPLL. The final value of distal 1/6th BMD
in the advancing group was significantly lower than its initial value
, but no change of the value of the distal 1/3rd BMD was observed in e
ither group. The final value of distal 1/6th BMD/distal 1/3rd BMD rati
o in the advancing group was significantly decreased compared with its
initial value. These results suggest that, in the advancing OPLL grou
p, trabecular bone mass decreased while cortical bone mass remained un
changed.